Winds of up to 227 kmph have brought air and train transportation to a halt in southern China, while hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated to safety.

Before making landfall in China, the typhoon struck Thaiwan.

Meanwhile, an aircraft carrying a group of Sri Lankan media personnel had to make an emergency landing at Qingdao airport due to the typhoon.

After covering the CAEXPO exhibition in Nanning, they were to return to Shanghai.

Sri Lanka Mirror editorial director Ruwan Ferdinandis, Kanchana Dassanayake of ‘Ada’, SLRC’s Suranga Edirisinghe, Dhammika Thushara Ratnayake, director of the National Design Centre Sugath Chandrasinghe and deputy director Piyaratne were among them.